Restless Sleeper
by simplyunwordable
Summary: Edward is determined to save Bella from death. Though it seems the most logical option is death itself. Edward can't give Bella an eternity if she doesn't live through tomorrow. With the odds against them, will they collapse? Alternate New moon.
1. Suffering

**A/N: **

**~ This is the first re-edited/re-posted chapter for this story. Please refer to my profile for more information. PM me with any questions.**

**- Kassidy**

**DISCLAIMERS:**

***Slaps self* Still don't own Twilight...**

**EPOV**

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Bella used to be the picture of serenity and relaxation while she slept.

One lone night had changed that. Now, she tossed and turned and screamed violently. Begging me to find her, asking James to spare her. Her restlessness became more prominent over time, instead of less so, as one would expect. The tortured facial expressions haunted me every day.

Regardless of her disturbing antics, she was beautiful. Even with the gigantic cast consuming her leg and multiple bruises left over from the fight. The entire ordeal was my fault, and I was endlessly agonized by the memories. That didn't mean I wasn't grateful that she'd made it out alive—no matter how many injuries made it out with her.

It was obvious that Bella's nightmares caused her great emotional turmoil. To make it worse, they affected her physical health as well. Her unconscious movements pressured her injuries. The constant tossing threatened her fragile ribs, and more than once did I fear she would damage her already cracked skull.

I took it upon myself to keep her unmoving while she slept, so as not to stress her already precarious physical health. She'd been through enough - the last thing she needed was to fall off the bed.

Every night I sat at the end of her bed, with her casted leg on my lap, so I could hold it in place. When she would try to move, I would hold her leg with one hand and lean forward to kiss her forehead. Such strategy was invented during her first nightmarish fit. I had panicked, not sure how I would be able to calm her without waking her. The only thing I could think of doing was kiss her, and-to my great surprise and pleasure- that worked.

Bella began to mumble in her sleep, "Edward, my rib hurts. Edward I love you. Edward where are my crayons?"

I laughed quietly; crayons? That wasn't something I heard often. I would need to check the pain killers Carlisle had her on.

I looked over her beautiful features- her full lips, milky skin, her long lashes, luscious mahogany hair which was slightly wavy from being wet.

I wished there were words to describe the way she made me feel. Resurrected? Clichéd, but true. Whole? Absolutely. Her presence made things right. Her love made things perfect. Her face made the dimmest room light up.

She also caused me to think in overly figurative terms.

Bella twitched. At first I thought she was about to resituate herself. Her flinches became more prominent, more violent. She was dodging something- her body was jerking and twisting unnaturally. I had never witnessed such a horrid reaction to a nightmare.

I contemplated waking her up. I tried briefly. I failed miserably. Bella was stuck inside her head, she was being held hostage by her own imagination. I could see I wouldn't be able to wake her gently, so I gave up on the institution. I tried a different tactic. I set her leg down, and lurched forward to smash my lips to hers.

She didn't wake, but whimpered, "Don't let him, Edward! Stop, James no!"

Nothing was working. I understood it was imperative to wake her up immediately. I kissed her again-speaking softly to her, hoping my words would break through her terrors and awaken her.

"Bella, love it's alright. It was just a dream," I whispered, as if she would break at the sound of my voice.

She shot up, and I hopped off the bed so her delicate head wouldn't collide with my stone one.

Her breathing was jagged and her eyes weren't focused, "Edward?"

I joined her on the bed once again, wrapping my arms around her and encouraging her to lay her head on my chest. "James is dead Bella. He isn't going to hurt you."

She moved to look at me, her brow furrowed, "That's not what my dream was about."

I pursed my lips, "Well then what was it about?"

"I wasn't worried about James attacking _me_- I was worrying about him getting _you._"

"I don't understand," I admitted.

She sighed, "Edward, if I died,"—I flinched at the words—"I would die knowing I was lucky enough to experience the greatest love ever. I could die happy. I _would_ die happy. If you died, my life would be nothing. The only thing I would experience afterwards would be suffering."

"Bella you never have to worry about suffering," I whispered brokenly, "I will never let you suffer."

My words were true. Bella wasn't _allowed_ to suffer. It was unacceptable. It was part of the reason why I wouldn't change her, that process required suffering on many different levels.

She wanted it—or she thought she did. She was willing to live with the trials… with the agony. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger? Technically I would be killing her and making her stronger. But that didn't solve our entirety of issues.

I wanted an eternity with Bella, but I couldn't tarnish all her innocence and warmth for a damned existence by my side.

"Edward, I suffer when you suffer. With me dead, will you be suffering?" Bella was intelligent. She knew me well.

"I will suffer when you are gone. But death…It's life. It's natural. I refuse to remain in a world that isn't graced with your heartbeat anyways. I will soon follow." My suffering was a deserved punishment.

As if Bella could read _my_ mind, she said, "Edward, you didn't choose this life. You _aren't_ a monster. You have more appreciation and respect for human life than most humans do. You refrain from killing me. You love more passionately than anyone I know."

I thought about her words for a minute, "Maybe, but I've killed before. How do you excuse that?"

She shrugged, "It doesn't matter. I love you."

I pulled her against my chest once again, resting my cheek on her head. She sighed, nuzzling her face into my neck.

As her breath evened out, and I knew she was on the brink of sleep, I muttered, "I love you too."


	2. Thoughts and thinking

EPOV

Bella didn't get much sleep last night; that was obvious. She had been dreaming about my death for the remainder of the night. I was hesitant to wake her up, somewhat intrigued by her words. The things she said were something to consider. If I left, what would happen to her? If I died how would she fare? Was she really so in love with me that she would suffer at my loss?

These are some things I considered while running home, at least until my mind was interrupted by my family's thoughts….

"_That poor little girl, she looked terrible,"_ Carlisle thought, always concerned about his patients.

"_Shoes, let's get some shoes…shoes," _Alice was so wrapped up in shopping online, it frightened me.

"_I look miraculous! Come on give a little smile…" _And Rose was thinking about herself… shocker.

"_E is for emotional, ruin everybody's day, M is for miserable person, O is for on the dark side!" _I raised my eyebrow at Jasper's thoughts; he couldn't have picked a more ironic song.

"_I wonder if I should add some flowers to the garden," _Esme always had peaceful thoughts, and they weren't so bad to listen to most of the time.

"_That Nikki Reed is hot, but not as hot as Rose…Edward! Don't tell on me!" _When Emmett wasn't thinking inappropriate thoughts about Rose, his thoughts were quite haphazard.

I quickly went up to my room to change my clothes; I wanted to see Bella as soon as possible. I thought about leaving, but only briefly. I just wanted to experiment, though there was really no reason for me to go now. Well except for the everyday fact that I'm in love with a girl whose blood I want to drink more than anyone else's. I finished dressing, and was about to jump out the window, but I pivoted around, thinking I should check in with the family. I ran down the stairs to find everybody in the living room.

"Oh my, he actually left his beloved human to talk to us, I feel so honored," Emmet said sarcastically, grinning the whole time.

"If I can recall correctly, it takes quite a strong force to pull you away from Rosalie while you're, for lack of a better term, absorbed," I shot back just as sarcastically. Alice wasn't shopping online anymore, but she kept singing songs in her head, not songs she listens to either. So there was no way they were merely stuck in her head. Unless she suddenly started to listen to Weird Al Yankovich, there was something she was keeping from me. I quickly dismissed it, and walked out the door. I ran while thinking about forever with Bella, I would have her with me always. She could go hunting with me, and we wouldn't have to satisfy her sometimes inconvenient human needs.

I arrived at Bella's house, and walked in the door, not bothering to knock. Charlie wasn't home and it was a Saturday, I didn't see the point in such an act. I saw her sitting on the couch, so I snuck up behind her and started kiss her neck from behind. She sighed and even giggled a little bit, before she turned around to kiss me properly. I sighed; I could let her cross the boundary line once couldn't I? She always feared I didn't want her physically as much as she wanted me. She said it was too easy for me to pull away. Oh how wrong she was. There was nothing more I wanted than to kiss her like she deserved to be kissed, other than wanting to keep her alive. The two things were quite conflicting, and keeping her alive always won.

"Hey," She breathed out, "That was quite a greeting."

"Well I just missed you, and I love your neck so much…" I trailed of, getting lost in her chocolate brown eyes.

She just giggled, "Of course you love my neck, you're a vampire, silly." She was so cute; she made a new category of cute. There was teddy bear cute and baby cute, then there was Bella cute, and that was my favorite kind. I sat down on the couch next to her and pulled her against me, so she was practically on my lap, but not quite.

"I love you," I said, it seemed like the proper thing to say at a beautiful moment like this.

"I love you too, more than I will ever love anybody else," I smiled at her words, she could say that ten times in a row, and I would smile every time. I truly couldn't deserve such a beautiful creature. Just when I thought the moment couldn't be ruined, Bella's crutches fell, and if I hadn't caught them, they would have fell on her head. I just laughed at her luck, it did sometimes seem as the world was out to get her. Would it be like that if I weren't here? Would she be safe without me? I suddenly realized that the thing I wanted most (a safe Bella) could be taken away from me if I left.


	3. Boredom and boundary lines

**A/N: Wow. I decided to update. Well...read this and review. Oh, and please read the authors note at the bottom before you unleash your thoughts on me...PLEASE!**

**Disclaimer: No. I dont own Twilight. Never have. Hopefully i will...jk.**

**EPOV**

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I looked at the clock. I looked again. And again. And again. Was time moving slower? I'm a vampire! I live _forever._ Time shouldn't mean anything to me. Well, when you have a very human love interest with a very protective father, time means _everything._ This was the worst part of my day; the time I spent without Bella. She was home; doing Lord knows what, without me. I almost wished she was back in her cast, so she would still need me around. But she was happy to get it off, and seeing her happiness made me happy, too. Her dad suggested she get some chores done, which I thought hypocritical, seeing as he did few chores himself, but I wasn't one to judge.

I decided that, if I should have to be away from my Bella, I might as well hunt. I jumped out my window and began running, enjoying the feel of the wind and mist surrounding my bolting form. Just as I left the thoughts of my family, my own starting hitting me with inexplicable force. _Immortality._ Bella and Bella's life had been the most important things in my world since I returned from Alaska what seemed like a lifetime ago. See, mixing Bella and immortality would be like mixing the molasses into the gingerbread mix. There's a good chance it will be too difficult to get everything mixed in properly and have a good outcome, but if one has enough determination and will power, there's a chance it could be done.

I laughed at my analogy; did I _really_ just compare Bella to molasses? Yes, yes I did. I shook my head, trying to free my brain of the thoughts that riddled my mind for days. Once I gave my attention to my thirst, instinct took over, and it was easy to put aside those thoughts. I smelled a variety of animals in the general area. But one stood out the most; mountain lion. I ran faster, finding the beastly cat and pouncing on it, draining it of its blood. After I was finished, I disposed of the carcass and ran back home.

I was met with bone chilling thoughts, or visions, I should say. _Bella leaving her house, Bella driving through the forest, Bella's future…was disappearing. _I ran faster, eager to find out what was going on. I nearly took off the door when entering the house, but that didn't matter. I took Alice by her shoulders, shaking her out of her reverie. I kept my hands on her shoulders, waiting for an explanation.

"I don't know Edward, her future is just…gone," Alice whispered. That was not enough.

"You. Don't. Know?" I said through gritted teeth, releasing Alice. I thought about waiting for another vision, but only for a millisecond. I went out the door, shooting off like a rocket, to Bella's house. Once I was there, I began following her scent. I made it all the way to the boundary line. The Quileute boundary line. I contemplated; should I cross it? Should I sit here and wait? What if she was just visiting Jacob and Alice's vision had a quirk? Before I could make a solid decision, I heard the roaring of Bella's truck, her scent flowing with it. She stopped when she saw me, running out of her car and towards me.

"Bella, what happened?" I yelled as she grabbed me, clinging to my shirt and dry heaving. I wrapped my arms around her protectively and sat down on the ground with her on my lap, "What did he do? Are you hurt?" If that Jacob Black had hurt her in any way, I would rip him limb from limb.

"Why didn't anybody tell me Jacob was a wolf?" Bella sobbed.

"What?" I asked. I immediately thought of Emily, Sam's imprint. She was a little too close when Sam phased…phased! Jacob phased in front of Bella, "Bella, tell me what happened," I murmured soothingly, rocking her back and forth.

"I just went to see Jacob real fast, because my truck was being louder than normal. He tweaked something in the engine, and then asked me if I would like to stay for a while. I told him I had to get back to you, and he just…exploded." Bella seemed to be in shock. She had a far off look about her eyes, as if she was reliving the whole thing again, "All of a sudden, he was this huge wolf, and I was right there. Edward, I hang out with vampires every day, and I was afraid of a wolf."

So not only was he a wolf, who exploded right in front of my Bella, but he was a young wolf. Dangerous. I shuddered and held Bella tighter. After she stopped shaking, I picked her up and carried her to her car, before taking her over to my house. She probably should have gone home first, but everybody needed to know she was safe.

When we walked in the door, Alice pounced on Bella, "Oh Bella! I'm so sorry! I just lost it! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Bella hugged Alice back, sighing, "I'm okay, Alice, I don't blame you for what happened."

Carlisle looked at Bella, then at me, and thought, _"Edward, I need to check her to make sure she isn't hurt." _I nodded, and Carlisle came forth to give Bella a once over, "Bella sit down, so I can assure that everything is in working order."

"Carlisle, really. I think I'm..." Bella was cut off by her own hiss. I rushed to her side, so I could see the damage myself. There was a bruise on her left ribcage, and it was already an unhealthy shade of green-blue.

"I don't recall you mentioning the part where you got hurt," I said coldly.

"Well, that's because I didn't think there was evidence. When Jake, err, changed, I kind of lost my balance from surprise and fell."

Oh, as if that made anything better. I huffed, but decided I should put that aside for later and tend to Bella. But…Jacob Black _would_ be dealt with later.

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**OKAY OKAY OKAY!**

**Yeah...chill out. Alright, i know it may seem like I'm trying to make Jake the bad guy. But remember, this is in Edward's POV...you dont know what Bella is thinking. She is not mad at Jake...she's in shock. I know it seems out of character, because she embraced what jake was in New Moon, but he told her, he didnt just explode...in this case, she wasnt forewarned and she wasnt expecting it....so just wait and keep reading...oh, and review! **

**IF YOU WANT ME TO WRITE IT IN BELLA POV, PUT THAT IN YOUR REVIEW! **


	4. And then it was like BOOM!

**A/N: So.... I decided it was a good time to write, seeing as I was home alone and whatnot. I was going to watch taken, but it's dark and I don't want nightmares, so writing seemed like the better option. Thanks to xXRoraXx.....for being an amazing reviewer, and of course...thanks to all of my other reviewers too. And thanks to KarinaCullen...just cuz she's awesome.**

**disclaimer: If I owned Twilight I would not be sitting here writing fanfiction.**

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**BPOV**

I took carefully measured steps as I walked down my driveway and towards my truck. I sighed, already regretting the specific agreement where I would get chores done and let Edward leave. When I climbed in my truck to go to the grocery store, it wheezed and made an unhealthy "Ker-plunk" noise. So, instead of driving to the Thriftway, I headed off in the opposite direction; to the Quileute reservation. Hopefully Jake would be home and willing to fix my truck.

I pulled up to the itsy bitsy house and parked in front. Jake came out to meet me with a broad smile on his face, "Well if it isn't little Bella."

"Hey Jake. What's up?" I asked politely, reciprocating his smile.

"Not much, you?"

"Yeah, um… actually my truck is making a strange noise. Can you look at it?" I asked timidly, nervous he would turn me down, for whatever reason.

"Sure!" He agreed; a bit too excited for the current situation. I followed him into his little handmade garage, where he grabbed a few tools and exited. I felt a bit like a lost puppy following him around, but oh well. Jacob began working, weaving his hands through the different parts of the engine and checking different things. After a good forty-five minutes, he stood up straight and smiled.

"Good to go!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks a lot Jake, "I said.

"No problem," he responded, "Do you want to stay for a while?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I really can't"

"Awe, come on. Why not?"

"Well, I have to finish my chores." I don't know why I didn't just say I had to get back to Edward; it seemed a little personal to bring up that conversation.

"Can't you do that later?" He asked, giving me a miraculous puppy dog face.

"Sorry, but I have to get back to Edward," I said, giving up and hoping that would stop his determined insistence. However, his reaction was not what I expected. All of a sudden, a fierce ripping noise echoed off of the cliffs and hills. The teenage boy before me transformed into a gigantic wolf, emitting an awful roar at the same time. I was shocked, stunned, and surprised. The force and the enormity of what was happening took a physical affect on my body, and I fell to the ground. Even in my fearful state, I could not rip my eyes from the creature in front of me.

Jacob's eyes were not glaring the cold look I anticipated. His eyes were dark and fiery, burning with an undecipherable emotion. I whimpered in fright, and tried to crawl backwards. Before I got too far, Jacob Black turned his head, snapping his body around with it, and sprinted to the trees. After a few minutes of eerie silence, I stood up and groaned when I realized I hurt my side, but decided not to look at the damage. When I looked around me, the first thing I saw were bits of cloth scattered around; the clothes Jacob had been wearing before he exploded.

It took me a while to recognize my own physical state, but suddenly I was conscious of my heavy breathing, and the hot tears streaking down my face. All of a sudden, I felt tired; like the shock was ripping at me and tearing me down. I didn't know if I was capable of driving, but I got in my truck and drove away as fast as possible. I stared off into space; watching, but not seeing. I knew when I passed a street sign, and I knew when I needed to turn and stop, but I wasn't being as careful as I should have been.

Only after I saw a glimmer of light bounce off of a certain sliver Volvo did I snap back into reality; still heaving and crying. As soon as I was free of the boundary line, I got out of my vehicle and ran to the only person who could make this sensible

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**A/N: Short chapter, but it was just so you understood what was going on in Bella-land for the day. **

**REVIEW! it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside**


	5. Sudden Unimportance

**A/N: IMPORTANT STUFF PLEASE READ! **

**Okay, first off, I would like to announce that KarinaCullen and I have a new fanfic called Beyond Hope. Please check it out on my faves, or our joint account; Edwards-lambs. Reviews would literally make our day and probably cause a massive explosion on facebook, youtube, and MSN messenger. So please take a look-see and tell us what you think.**

**I know I suck at updating, but please stick with me. I'm writing three stories right now. Add that to trying to make youtube videos, reading fanfics, keeping up with Twilight news, and just life in general...I get behind. And I'm starting school back up in a week so there's something else. I'm extremely picky about everything I write and usually edit something several times before letting ANYONE see it. As of right now, I plan to keep updating and finish this, as well as LIPLIK (Love is Patient, Love is Kind). And there is no way I can stop writing Beyond Hope because Karina and I love it too much. **

**Long rant, I know. But I needed to say it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight....I'll let you know if I ever do. It's incredibly unlikely.**

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After Bella was done with her impromptu appointment with Carlisle, Alice basically forced her upstairs for a spa treatment, claiming she needed to calm down after such a big day. Honestly, I was a little worried about her myself. She could be a bit traumatized from the whole experience. Since Alice had snatched Bella away, I was left to my thoughts, as well as the thoughts of everyone in the house, except for one, of course.

I went to my room at a relatively human pace; I was in no rush anyhow. Once I reached my destination, I sat down at my couch and began thinking about Jacob Black and the entire affair. Who would have thought that Alice couldn't see the wolves? If Alice could have seen what was happening, how would we have stopped Bella without breaking the treaty? That's where I halted my rhetorical questions; I would have broken the treaty, no doubt.

I heard Alice and Bella talking a few doors down. They were discussing mundane things; Alice's attempt at keeping a light atmosphere I'd bet. Suddenly, Alice had a vision. A very blurry one, at that. However, one thing was clear; Victoria was in it. I jolted up and focused my attention completely on the pictures in Alice's head. Something was making the vision fuzzy, like multiple layers of thick gauze draped over a television with terrible reception. All that was completely clear was Victoria talking menacingly, growling and snarling. Suddenly the vision switched perspective, showing another view of whatever was happening. There was only a quick snapshot before the vision ended, but it was enough to completely enrage me. Just seeing that miniscule clip of an image changed the entire situation. Jacob Black was instantly unimportant.

I didn't know when Victoria was going to be here. I didn't know why the vision was so incredibly fuzzy. I didn't know who was looking at the two in the vision, or if anybody else was present. All that mattered was Victoria was going to be close to my Bella, unless I changed the future. And, from past experience, I know that isn't very easy to do. I jumped up from my couch, sprinting to Alice's room, which contained an extremely shaken Alice and a terribly confused Bella.

I looked at Alice with questioning eyes, "Well?"

"As you know, it was an unclear vision. All I know is it's in a clearing-"

I cut her off, "The baseball clearing?"

"No, one closer to the middle of the Hoh. Anyways, this vision felt very similar to the one I got of Bella before she crossed the line and slipped away. My guess is this means a wolf, most likely Jacob, is going to be there."

I growled, "Anything else?"

"No. I couldn't hear what Victoria was saying"

"Perfect. Just fantastic"

"Will somebody _please_ tell me what the heck is going on?" Bella yelled. I broke out of my contemplative state and glanced around the room to see that my family was in the doorway, all with concerned faces.

I shifted my gaze over to Alice, _"Tell her, Edward."_

"Victoria is coming," I snarled fiercely.

Bella gasped, "What do we do?"

"We hide you, of course."

"I'm not an Easter egg, Edward," Bella said sarcastically.

"Edward, maybe we should think this through a little," Carlisle suggested, and Emmett and Jasper nodded in agreement. I grunted in reluctant acceptance. The men began to walk to Carlisle's study. I kissed Bella on the lips quickly before following.

I made it into the study, offering my complete attention to the conversation, and adding my own input every now and then. I would protect Bella with everything I had.

Whatever the cost.

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**A/N: I know...tons of drama, right? Please believe me when I say it will all come together in the end. **

**REVIEW! Because It's fun! And I almost always respond...unless it's nasty.**


	6. Time is my best friend & worst enemy

**A/N: Wow. It's been quite awhile. What do you say when you abandon your readers? I was busy with life. And I finally got a day to update. And I just broke my CD drive...ok I fixed it. Anyways...please stick with me because I PLAN ON FINISHING THIS STORY! While updates might not be scheduled, they will happen. Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Disclaimers: SURPRISE SURPRISE! I dont own Twilight.**

**EPOV**

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What seemed like seconds later had really been hours. Jasper, Carlisle, Emmett, and I emerged from the dimly lit study and into the drastically different, bright hallway. I breathed in gently and concluded that Bella was in the living room with Alice. I rushed to her side, coming up behind her and pulling her to me immediately. I wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled my face into her neck.

"Edward," she whispered, half questioning my urgency, but I could tell it was also a plea. She was scared. I turned her around so she was facing me and looked into her truffle orbs.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you Bella, I promise. We'll figure something out."

Bella nodded and wrapped her arms around me, and although it felt as light as a feather, her hold was strong for a human. She was really scared. Bella didn't like to show vulnerability, but when we knew so little and so much was at stake, I could see where her fear came from. I was afraid too, though I would never admit that.

"Let's get you home love," I murmured gently, slightly tugging her along with me to the car. Bella didn't say anything; she just nodded and let me tow her. When she buckled down in the Volvo, I turned to her and saw she was staring blankly at the forest, watching as if something would be following us.

"She isn't close enough for me to hear her, we're okay."

"Edward, what did you and the rest of the guys discuss?"

"Jasper mentioned that Victoria must be out for vengeance, since we killed James, and that seems like the most plausible reason, but we can't know for sure until Alice has a lucid vision or she gets close enough for me to read."

"Why can't Alice see the wolves?"

"Carlisle thinks it's because Alice has never experienced that mindset or physicality. She sees humans and vampires because she has experienced being them."

"What's going to happen to me?"

I slammed on the breaks and whipped my head towards Bella.

"Nothing!" I said fiercely, "I swear to you Bella, I will put your life before everything else. You will be safe. If all else fails, you will be alive after we resolve this. You are the one thing I can't imagine losing. Please don't be scared."

Bella dead was unacceptable. Bella dead was unimaginable. Bella dead was awful, dreadful, doleful, gruesome, completely nonsensical….

The strange thing is, no matter how many adjectives I could pull from my extremely well read mind, none of them could properly explain life without a Bella. It was unwordable.

"Edward," Bella mumbled pensively, "promise me something."

"Anything you want, Bella."

"When it comes down to choosing between me and yourself and your families... don't pick me."

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, watching it bend and mold against my stone fingers with disgust. I groaned-growled through clenched teeth, "That will never happen."

Bella said nothing; she just glanced out the window, realizing we had arrived at her house. She turned to me and looked in my eyes, searching for something. I leaned over and took off her seatbelt, pulling her onto my lap, "I love you Bella. Nothing matters more than that."

She shook her head furiously, and I could tell by the look on her face she was trying her absolute hardest not to cry, "Don't make me be the reason you lose a family member Edward. Take care of them."

If I could cry, I would have been tearing up right about now. My voice quivered as I tried to reassure my love, "You don't understand how badly it would hurt to lose you. You come first. My family, they are all smart and strong, they can take care of themselves."

No longer able to stand talking about annihilation, I opened my car door, and pulled Bella into my arms, thankful I could be here with her while Charlie was watching the game at Billy's. Part of me was anxious to let her go, to let her be remotely alone in this world for the shortest amount of time. The other part was aching to find Victoria and rip her head off.

By now I had situated Bella on her couch. I lied next to her and pulled her body snuggly to mine, tucking her head under my chin, and I sung her the lullaby I created all that time ago.

Time; such an interesting concept. Fast enough to pass by humans without acknowledgement yet slow enough to create dread and agony in a vampire's existence. Could it be possible that an eternity, essentially never ending amounts of time, could pass by too fast as well? When I looked at my Bella's face; beautiful, but somehow still carrying the stress of the day, even in sleep, I realized that an eternity, indeed could pass by too quickly. If Bella was by my side, eternity might not be enough for me to get my fill of her.

What really frightened me about my revelation is, if an eternity isn't enough…how could one human lifetime possibly be enough…how could I even remotely have an adequate amount of time with the love of my existence, if she was already almost a quarter of a way done with her life…

I couldn't. For my own, entirely selfish reasons, I knew that there was no way that all the love I held for Bella could be portrayed in the time I had left. I could always find a way to join her in the afterlife, but what if I couldn't find her? What if something went terribly awry and I couldn't find her. I suppose it should alleviate some of the pain of her loss regardless, but I couldn't bear the fact that I promise to join her, when I'm completely unsure if it's even possible.

My recent musings seem to have lead me to the resolution I have been contemplating as of late; is giving Bella immortality really the best decision?

My thoughts, once again, were interrupted by loud, rhythmic thumps. These weren't noises from the house, or a storm, they were beings. I glanced down at Bella to see she had awoken; her eyes were searching frantically for any signs of danger.

I put her on my back, and went to the front window, the closer I got the more the stench grew, and it smelled trashy, dirty, and unclean. Outside the house was a group of enormous dogs. Bella gasped and spoke in a shaky voice, "the second one on the right…that's Jacob."

Ahh….the werewolves stopped by for a visit. Just perfect.

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**A/N: Am I a bitch for not updating in forever and then giving you a cliffy?? Probably....But oh well. I promise to update next chapter as soon as I get...shall we say...three reviews for this one. SO REVIEW AND THAT COULD BE TODAY!**

** Edward put Bella on his back for the same reason Bella put Nessie on her back in BD when fighting Kate...so he could have her nearby but have his hands free to fight at the same time. Just to clear that up. **

**REVIEW....REMEMBER....IT COULD MEAN ANOTHER UPDATE TODAY! IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS...CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON!**


	7. An erruption of Violence

**A/N: So...in reality this should have been out yesterday. But after discussing a few things with Karina, she wanted in on the fun. What fun, might you ask? Well, you'll have to see. PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE AT THE BOTTOM! I will explain some of the more....controversial things there. Thanks for the awesome reviews...keep it up!**

**Disclaimers: Hmm...still don't own Twilight...**

**EPOV**

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"What do they want?" Bella whispered, caught up in the tension of the moment. I ran through all of their minds; checking what they've seen, heard, smelled, what they know. What I gathered made me furious. I growled viscously, probably scaring Bella in the process.

"Victoria was on Quileute land, they immediately assumed she was in relation to us."I explained.

"What?? One vampire and they couldn't just end her and let it be?"

"That's the thing, there was more than one."I growled again. From the tenor of the Quileute's thoughts, I could tell they weren't going to accept an explanation. Once I stepped out of this house, it was war. And I knew exactly who planned on ending me. I couldn't be more ready.

I released Bella from my back, turning towards her and speaking gently, "Bella. They don't want to talk, they are here to fight. Call Alice; she can't see them. She doesn't know what's happening. Tell them to come now. I have to go out there. I'm going to try and negotiate."

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. She understood the enormity of the situation. It took a minute for all of the information to set in. Just as I grasped her face and kissed her forehead, she tightened her hold, "Edward! Please stay. Please wait until your family gets here!"

"Bella…if I don't go out there now, they could come in here."

I pulled my arms out of her grasp, and Bella grabbed the phone, her shaky fingers dialing familiar numbers. She glanced at me once more, and I tried to smile her favorite crooked smile before leaving the home.

I stood at the door, mentally preparing myself before opening it. I checked all the werewolves' minds, focusing on Jacob's longer than anybody else. He was thinking mere strategy, not timing. I couldn't tell when I was going to be attacked at this point. While it would have been helpful information, I could survive without it.

I heard Alice and Bella say their goodbyes before opening the door and stepping out onto the porch.

The very first thing that registered was growling, only a split second before a mass of russet fur came flying at me, clawing, trying to find purchase. Jacob Black barely made a scratch before I wrapped my arm around him and slammed him to the ground, and then picking him up and throwing him into the forest to fight away from the house. Bella screamed from inside the house, but he attacked me; this was self defense.

The wolf growled and tried to roll over on top of me; he wasn't getting anywhere. When his head came forward and tried to rip at mine, I brought a fist back and landed a punch between the eyes. Not hard enough to cause permanent damage, but enough to slow him down.

When I took a spare moment to wonder why I wasn't being attacked by other werewolves, I noticed my family had arrived, and were fighting with them. Well, not fighting as much as holding them off and waiting for a moment when we could explain. I had no such time; Jacob had regrouped and was attempting to kick me off. I grabbed his leg and effortlessly threw him, watching as he flipped before hitting the ground. He barely rested there before springing up and running at me, trying to do some sort of damage. I didn't react as soon as he expected, letting him think he might get a hit in, but at the last minute, I grabbed the giant dog's throat, and held him in midair. He may have been the size of a horse, but his weight was nothing for me to hold, the only thing making it difficult was his constant fidgeting, trying to break free.

I raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a chance to surrender; his answer was a claw at my arm. I responded by grabbing his paw, and squeezing it, just enough to break a few fingers, which would heal quickly. He howled, but kept at it. Snarling ferociously, he brought his other paw around to swipe at my head, making me duck and reach out to grab it at the same time. I used my advantage to throw him on the ground, and twist his neck enough to make it uncomfortable, but not enough to injure him.

It seemed he was about to give up, I could tell he was worn out. The other wolves had calmed, but hadn't interfered. They probably guessed the fight needed to resolve itself. I let go of Jacob, and he seemed calmed as well. Alice came over to my side, putting a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't tell whether her intentions were to restrain me or comfort me.

Jacob panted heavily, his eyes burning with violence. I tried to explain, but he didn't seem quite finished with his tirade. This time it wasn't aimed only at me.

I threw myself at Jacob, pinning him against the ground. He growled at me using his strength to break free of my grip. His smell was revolting, but that was the least of my worries. This 'thing' was threatening to hurt my family I wasn't going to stand by without a fair battle. As Jacob struggled to get out of my grasp, I kneed him in the ribs - hearing more than one crack.

That seemed to sufficiently slow him down. He struggled to break free of my grip, and I evaluated his motivations before letting him go. The wolf pack retreated into the forest, only to return in human form; they had accepted defeat. I searched the wolf pack thoughts, and all seemed settled with the outcome, all but one.

I smelled her before I heard her. Bella ran up to the group, her face red and her heart pounding. When I turned to acknowledge her, she jumped into my arms and hugged my neck, whispering in my ear, "Oh thank God! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine love, really." I comforted her, causing her to sigh and hold me tighter. I set her down and turned to face several tired men, and one especially angry one.

Bella's gaze wandered towards Jacob, and then at me. She waited for somebody to speak, Carlisle acquiesced to her silent request, and "The horde of vampires on your land were not related to us."

"The red head insisted you have met before, and knew each other well," Sam, who was obviously the alpha, replied.

"While I cannot deny that we have met, I can say there is no comradeship between us. On the contrary, they seek our demise," Carlisle explained.

"How do we know you hold true to your word," Sam questioned.

"What reason do you have to think we're lying?" I responded in return.

"There was a vampire on our land Cullen, she claimed to know you. And as far as I'm concerned, a vampire is a vampire, all of them are enemies. She deserves the same amount of trust as any of you," Jacob spat disgustedly.

Bella glared at him incredulously and parted her mouth to speak, but closed it once she rethought her actions.

Sam wasn't too pleased with his outburst either, "Jacob! We hold a treaty with them. You will not speak for the pack when you say such ridiculous things!"

Jacob looked as if he wanted to protest, but something was physically holding him back. He nodded begrudgingly.

"This female is a danger to you?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Carlisle said, "We believe she wants vengeance, as we were forced to end a nomad friend of hers awhile back."

"How can we help?" Sam questioned determinedly.

"We're going to help them?" Jacob exclaimed furiously, "They're the enemy!"

"They are not the enemy Jacob! Please put your personal prejudices aside, because I don't have time for them," Sam chastised Jacob once again.

I looked around, noticing that everybody had visibly relaxed. I tapped Bella's arm and motioned for her to follow me. Carlisle didn't need my help, and I'm sure Bella needed a bit of consoling herself. I pulled her into my arms and began to lead her to the house, with Alice walking close behind. She seemed to want to be close to Bella as well, having worried about her almost as much as me.

However, there were also unwanted footsteps making their way towards us. Jacob had spiteful thoughts in his head, and he planned to act on them. I released Bella, letting Alice situate her behind her rock hard body, and turned towards him.

"Haven't had enough Jacob?" I asked rhetorically. Though it seemed he planned on answering anyways.

Bella spoke before he could, "You fought Jacob?"

"Love, I had no intentions of fighting Jacob, I assure you," I began to reassure her, though Alice cut me off.

"Jacob initiated it, Bella," She stated firmly, simply. Bella's gaze was now directed at Jacob.

"Are you hurt Jacob?" She asked, somewhat clinically.

Jacob guffawed, "No! I'm perfectly fine."

"Why did you do it?" She inquired in a hurt tone.

"Please Bella…"Jacob said, looking as if he really didn't want to explain.

Jacob walked towards Bella, who was still standing behind Alice. He stood a mere half foot away, making Alice growl in warning, though he probably couldn't hear the low rumble.

"Please what?" Bella asked, her voice losing confidence with every word.

Jacob seemed to disregard Alice and me, and I didn't need to read his thoughts to know that was exactly what he was doing.

"Stop hiding behind the vampires, stop hiding from me. Please come be with me," Jacob whispered, reaching out to grab Bella from behind Alice.

Before I could act to stop him, a petite pale hand had already plummeted forward and slapped Jacob on each cheek, causing him to stumble backwards, and glare furiously at the pixie vampire.

Nobody, not even Bella, could chastise Alice for that. He was too close for comfort; not only was the smell retched but the instinct to fight had to be awfully overpowering.

Alice's thoughts, though, explained the real reasoning behind her actions, _"I'll be damned if I'm going to let him near Bella after what she experienced with his transformation."_

"What the hell was that for?" Jacob exclaimed.

"Instinct." Alice said flippantly, shrugging.

Jacob was just barely learning how to control his temper, and he planned to react. He marched forward, but before he could do anything to Alice, Bella stood between them.

"Get out of the way," he mumbled through clenched teeth.

"Go home Jacob," Bella said, stubbornly.

"Bella, get out of the way," Jacob said, losing resolve as his form began to blur.

I pulled Bella back, not wanting her to be too close if he lost it.

"Just go Jacob. I know they are done conversing, and I think everybody's had enough excitement today," I commanded.

Just as Jacob was about to protest, Sam called out, "Jacob! Let's go. We have much to prepare for!"

Jacob had no choice but to follow, sending Alice and me glares before running after the pack. He gazed back at Bella with hurt, for some unknown reason, she just turned away.

I was going to speak, but I was cut off by Bella's arms around my waist, her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and brought her closer, kissing her head and burying my nose in her hair. Before long, tears started to stain my shirt.

Explanations could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, my Bella needed comfort.

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**A/N: OK OK OK!!! Let me talk...or type. Whatever. First of all, I'd like you to keep in mind THIS IS A NEW MOON ALTERNATE!! Jacob hasn't been developed as a character, because his chance to do that was in New Moon. He doesnt see the good in the vampires because BELLA AND HIM NEVER HUNG OUT! Remember, they aren't best friends...they are barely friends at all. And while Bella does care for him, not as much as she would if this happened in Eclipse with the original New Moon. She doesnt know Jacob that well at all, really. Edward leaving really changed the ways the characters interact. Alice and Edward aren't as cordial with Jacob because BELLA DOESN'T HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP TO HIM!! **

**And besides...YOU KNOW YOU WANTED EDWARD AND JACOB TO DUKE IT OUT! Everybody wanted to read about it...don't lie.**

**REVIEW! BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE FIGHT!!**


	8. Cross My Heart and Kiss Your Lips

**A/N: I am so sorry for deserting my readers again. I haven't gotten any better at updating, and I hope I can work on that. Please enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do own the computer this chapter was typed on, though.**

**EPOV**

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As soon as Bella reached the foyer, she started to get drowsy. I couldn't blame her; she saw a werewolf phase, and later witnessed a fight with said werewolf and its pack. Not to mention she found out Victoria was in close proximity, waiting to pounce at any second. Needless to say, my love was exhausted. She passed out as soon as her head hit her pillow, without needing so much as a lullaby.

The Cullen family was currently residing at Bella's house, surrounding her table and discreetly discussing plans. Since Billy had convinced Charlie to stay the rest of the weekend, we were free to plan away. This time, we were going to be more careful about our planning. It was highly unlikely that we wouldn't sense another vampire should one be spying on us, but we were being extra careful. All plans were either being transferred by thought, or willed into action for Alice to see. What couldn't be communicated that way was either being drawn out or written down.

Nobody would hear us; nobody could tell what we were doing if they should see us. To the outside world, we were merely standing guard to Bella. If one did try to peep in, they wouldn't figure out the elaborate plan we had come up with.

The very plan Bella asked about when she drowsily stumbled down the stairs, with mussed hair and slight circles under her eyes.

"What's going on?" She moaned out, her voice cracking with not yet shaken off sleep. I shushed her, as we were going to take action immediately. And absolutely no talking would be involved until we completed the first step. I tried to will Bella into silence by cautioning her with my eyes. She started back questioningly. I knew it was going to irritate her incessantly that she wouldn't know what she was doing until she was doing it, but for her safety she would not be able to find out until then.

So, I just crossed my heart and kissed her on the lips. Promising to protect her, and asking her to trust me. She smiled and placed her hand over my heart, pecking me on the lips and walking into the kitchen to stand next to Alice. I grinned and followed to stand behind her, simultaneously checking my family's thoughts and expressions. Unsurprisingly, everyone wore their game faces; determined, resolved, and protective. Their minds were thinking nothing of danger, werewolves, or Victoria. It was time to go, and nothing else was in mind other than the first phase of our plan.

With a collective nod, everybody sprang to action; Rosalie took Bella's arm and led her to the Mercedes. Emmett followed along, patting me on the shoulder and taking the driver's seat. Alice and Jasper ran towards the reservation (we had permission to cross lines), Esme and Carlisle stayed in Bella's house with me. All seemed to be going smoothly in the few seconds we'd been working, until Bella motioned for me to join her in the car, and I shook my head in denial.

Then things got a bit rough. Bella struggled to get out of the car, but Emmett had grabbed her and put her back in, fighting against her useless gestures and whimpers. Bella looked frantic, and I knew I must go console her quickly, so Emmett and Rosalie could get going. I trotted over to her, picked her up in my arms, and kissed her passionately. I smiled at her and mouthed _"Everything will be okay". _She grasped at my face, much like I did when she left to phoenix all those months ago.

Emmett and Rosalie started the engine, and just before Bella's window rolled up, I saw her cross her heart…I smiled and crossed mine too.

Though I wanted to follow desperately, I had to get moving as well. Esme, Carlisle, and I ran to our house, grabbed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and ten brand new cell phones. We then ran to the airport, and boarded a jet to our private, unannounced destination. I knew Bella was worried about being taken away and not knowing where she was going or what was going on, but all I could hope for is she would trust that it was for her own benefit.

**BPOV**

I sat still as a stone in the back seat of Carlisle's Mercedes, finding this situation eerily familiar. Aside from my different body guards, I was sure experiencing de ja vu. I didn't have the slightest idea as to what was going on or where I was headed to, but Edward asked me to trust him, and so that's what I was going to do.

I didn't speak, and I planned on staying silent until either Emmett or Rose said something first. I tried to distract myself by observing small details of the car around me. I noticed I was still in my clothes from yesterday, and that Emmett and Rose weren't. I noticed there was a new radio in the car, and a walkie talkie. I noticed the odd items stuffed into the pockets of the front seats, including; a copy of the _Don Quixote,_ an ad for the movie _Tokyo Drift_, a printout of a missionary trip itinerary, and the movie _Madagascar. _

I held up the movie, feeling more confused than ever. Rose was the one to respond, by pulling out a notebook and a pen, and handing them to me. Nice to know I could have communicated two hours ago when my boyfriend's brother and sister stole me away to take me to an unspoken destination. Nevertheless, I grabbed the notebook and wrote down my inquiries all at once:

**Where are we going? Where are the others going? And what's with the random crap shoved into the pockets? **

Neither Rose nor Emmett wrote anything, instead, I was handed back the notebook, with no addition other than the word _random_ circled. I thought about that for a minute, and then it clicked. The last time we led James on a wild goose chase; there was sense to our plot. It could have been, and was, figured out. This time, things were completely random, at least to somebody trying to track us.

I looked at the items again. I found that all the clues had a specific location; Spain, Tokyo, Madagascar, and Italy. Whatever we were doing, these four places must be essential to the plan. I glanced up to find Rose actually smiling at me, looking proud. I smiled tentatively back, unsure of her motivation. She giggled quietly and reached for the notebook to write something.

_It took seven vampires and two special abilities to fluidly communicate this plan. You have the gist of it by looking at a book, a printout, and two movies._

I chuckled under my breath, trying to stick with the silent game that seemed to be essential to our stratagem. Though, at this moment, I could be dancing for joy at the thought that Rosalie seemed to be tolerating me, even if it might only be for the sake of my sanity. I silently rejoiced as Rose took back the notebook, realizing she planned to keep writing. The thought of doing something as silly and juvenile as passing notes at a time like this was ridiculous, but I think it's what I needed.

_I can't tell you where we are going. But it won't be much longer with the way Em is driving. We will make a stop at a secluded town in a few minutes. When we get to the stop, take the clothes from under the seat; go to the bathroom, and change. When you come back, there will be food waiting for you. We will leave immediately after that. Do not speak or look at anybody. I will be going with you, but I won't be looking at you. Remain distance between us and try not to look at me. Alright?_

I nodded in acquiescence, taking the notebook and scribbling frantically.

**I'm sorry I've split the family up again.**

She took one look at it, and shook her head. She then pointed to the empty gas station we were pulling into. I fumbled under the seat for the aforementioned clothes, ready to get out of the car and complete this transaction quickly. Rose followed me to the bathroom, standing outside the men's instead of the women's, looking around inconspicuously, and followed me back to the car, remaining a few feet behind me.

True to Rose's word, there was food in the car, which I inhaled rather than ate, and we were off. Somewhere along the line, I fell asleep, and before I knew it, we were parked in front of a monumentous log cabin, that, frankly, put the Cullen house to shame. All the lights were out, no sign of movement could be discovered, and just as I was about to climb out of the car, Emmett held out his hand, telling me to stop. I did as he asked, and without warning, he bolted from the front seat of the car. I thought there was a threat, but from the still calm expression on Rose's face, I could see it was part of the procedure.

And if I wasn't already completely lost, Rose then climbed in the backseat with a makeup box, attacking me with unknown beauty products. The only things I recognized were pale white foundation, fake eyelashes, and a wig. And many other beautification materials that should have taken way more time to put on. I glared at Rose questioningly, pointing to the mirror, silently asking to look. She held up a finger, asking for a few more seconds. She then proceeded to place contacts in my eyes, and drown me in citrus perfume. When I was finally allowed to look in the mirror, I looked exactly like Alice.

At the pit stop, I didn't get a chance to see my clothes in the dark, and it was now I realized I was wearing Alice's clothes. The Cullens were trying to pass me off as Alice. I was complete with gold contacts and an Alice wig. And when Emmet came back, he grinned in approval before putting me on his back and running me inside the house. With the speed he was running, and the thorough costume, anyone looking would think it was just Emmett carrying Alice. Since I was drenched in Alice smell, the faint scent of my blood would be passed off as Alice just being around me.

This might be the most genius plan ever invented.

**APOV**

I ran swiftly through the Hoh forest, with Jasper in hand. We made no hesitation as we encountered the Cliffs of La Push, we jumped right in. Knowing we were the closest to Victoria at the moment, the two of us had to be extra careful and that much speedier. Jasper and I were the fastest swimmers in the family, with him being lean and agile and me being petit and quick. We could have planned a boat trip but we were extremely pressed for time.

We swam at full speed the whole time, never tiring, never slowing down. We had worn light, comfortable clothing that consisted of blues and greens, hoping to blend in. We were so focused; we didn't even spare a glance at each other, not once. I knew my reasons for doing this; I loved Bella. She was my sister as much as Rosalie, my best friend. And Jasper loved her because I did. We didn't swim half way around the world for just anybody.

What seemed like minutes had actually been hours and the sun was beginning to rise in the middle of the barren ocean. It was an unspoken agreement that when this happened, Jazz and I would duck under water and travel closer to the ocean bottom. It would require slower momentum, but if we were going to arise at twilight, we would have more energy. It was also possible to hunt down there, as long as you were on the lookout for sharks.

As we began to descend, we started shedding our clothes. We didn't need any help sinking to the bottom, and the lack of clothing would make movement easier. I was left in nothing but a tank top and spandex, which I wore specifically for this purpose. Jasper was shirtless, wearing nothing but his boxers. As soon as we could see the bottom, we continued forward, not feeling the need to walk the Ocean floor.

Strange fish swam by us, most of them quite beautiful in their own way. After giving a respectful regard to our surroundings, I reached out to grab one, watching Jasper do the same. We both drank the blood, although it was bitter and unsatisfying, it would help us when we had to become speed swimmers again. We threw the remains in an underwater cave, and began to move forward.

When the dark suddenly became darker, we knew it was time to head up. If my calculations were correct, we had made it a quarter of the way there. One more night of swimming and we would arrive at our destination. If we were willing to swim at full speed again, which was the plan, making it there before sunrise was possible.

As we broke the surface, we immediately began to stroke. I looked at the love of my life and smiled, knowing this plan had to work. I looked for my family in my visions, seeing Rose and Bella in a warm cabin, and Carlisle, Esme, and Edward in a cold alleyway. All was going as planned; the others had reached their destinations.

And now we had arrived at ours.

I looked up briefly to admire the bright lights of Tokyo.

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**A/N: So?? what did you think?? Let me just tell you...this plan is elaborate. Really, really elaborate. Every destination has a meaning. And the 'no talking' rule is essential to their plan. It will all be explained in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW...EVEN IF I'VE DISSAPOINTED YOU WITH MY SUCKISH UPDATING SKILLS!!!**


	9. Surely Going Insane

**Author's Note: **

**-There is really no excuse for my neglection when it comes to updating. However, I'm chalking it up to finals and exhaustion. I could have spent another week editing this chapter, but I need to control the editing OCD, so I had to post it before I went completely bonkers. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimers:**

**- I do not own _Twilight_. I do own the computer this chapter was created on.**

**BPOV**

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I fidgeted relentlessly; standing up, sitting down, and rubbing my hands together. I wished somebody would give me a sign, as speaking was strictly prohibited. The last time any kind of grand gesture was made was when Emmett carried me in the house.

That was three hours ago.

I shot Rose a pleading glance, begging her to tell me anything. At least where Emmett was, since the rest of the family hadn't kept in touch when we all went our separate ways. She allowed me nothing but one small shake of her head. I grunted in frustration, wishing Alice was here to provide me with an update.

What was truly minutes felt like hours, and I was on the brink of insanity before I noticed something whoosh by the picturesque window. I gasped and waved my arm frantically at Rose, notifying her that there was somebody outside the house. She didn't respond, and I wasn't sure if that was because she was listening, or because she was unconcerned.

The door opened, revealing Emmett and an obviously older vampire. He gave a single nod in Rosalie's direction.

The tension eased, and the very energy of the room was so much more relaxing.

"Thank God," Rosalie whispered under her breath.

I snapped my head towards her, my eyes questioning, "Can we talk?" I mouthed.

Emmett laughed, "Yes Bella, you can talk."

I sighed in relief, glad the silent game was over, or at least on hold.

"So, what are we doing here?" I asked, glad I could finally speak the words.

"We're waiting," mouthed Rosalie. Though speaking was allowed, talking of the plans was apparently still prohibited.

"This is Eleazar, he's just here to help…keep watch," Emmett said, slightly breaking the volume barrier, causing Rose to shush him.

"Why couldn't we talk?" I mouthed.

"We'll explain that later, Bella, you should really sleep," Rose insisted, as if that was going to be remotely possible. I didn't want to cause unnecessary hostility, so I conceded.

It wasn't until Rose brought me hot tea, pajamas, and a blanket that I realized just how exhausted I was. I was amazed and grateful for her sudden hospitality and tender care, as well as her correct assumption that I would want to be around my three body guards while I slept.

"Here," Rose said, "Get some sleep," then she added in a lower tone, "Expect to be awoken at any moment."

I proceeded to change into my pajamas, and when I returned for my blanket and tea, I saw Emmett sitting on the end of the enormous couch, watching none other than SpongeBob.

I raised my eyebrow, silently questioning his choice of entertainment.

"What? Just because I'm superhuman, I can't watch SpongeBob?" Emmett said defensively.

I chuckled under my breath, lying down on the couch with my head opposite of Emmett, watching the ridiculous T.V show. I was secretly grateful for the bright, juvenile cartoon-it made life seem a bit simpler.

My eyes grew heavy, and every blink became workout. I started to doze off sooner than I expected.

I gasped, shooting straight up. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I searched for a familiar face, to come in contact with round, golden eyes filled with concern.

"Everything okay?" Emmett asked.

I plopped onto my back, grunting in frustration and annoyance.

"What time is it?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Five," Emmett replied nonchalantly.

"In the afternoon?" I asked, bewildered.

"Mhm," Emmett answered, "We're going to be leaving soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as you're ready."

With that, I got up and dressed for the next part of our journey, doing as Rose asked without question. I didn't know where we were going, and I didn't know where any of the other Cullens were either.

A lot could have happened in the twenty four hours we'd been apart.

Had Victoria caught up to any of them?

Was Victoria caught up to _us_?

My lack of knowledge was frightening; I didn't know where Edward was, or Alice. Hell, I didn't even know where my dad thinks_ I _am.

The plan was once genius, but now it was really starting to piss me off.

There wasn't time for petty emotions; the rushed frenzy that was Rosalie and Emmett could tell me that much. It was apparent we needed to evacuate—now.

The site of the airport was both comforting and nerve wracking. Comforting because it meant that whatever was pushing us from the cozy cabin was being left behind. Nerve wracking because I didn't know what airport I'd see next. I tried to ask Emmett where our next destination was, but no answer was granted to me, not even a blink.

It wasn't until we checked our baggage did I discover our landing place; Tokyo.

This news made me shake my head a bit. The Cullens never did anything halfway, especially with Alice in charge. I could not seem to shake the bewilderment that came with the knowledge of our destination. It turned out it would have plenty of time to wear off- our flight was delayed.

At first, this news was only slightly disheartening. It wasn't until I noticed Rosalie's and Emmett's wary expressions did I start to panic. Victoria had to be near, and for fear of frightening me, Rose and Emmett had withheld this information.

My stomach dropped.

My heart shot up into my throat.

I turned cold.

Every possible clichéd term for, "I was scared shitless," applied at that moment.

I was positive that if I had to wait for the promised five hour delay, I'd surely lose my mind.

Finally, _finally-_ after the five hour delay turned into a six hour delay, and then a seven hour delay- we boarded the plane. However, my anxiousness didn't fade. It wasn't until we took off did I relax some. No matter if Victoria and her minions were on this flight or not- and I was sure they weren't, or we wouldn't have boarded- they wouldn't be able to hurt us here.

As one reason for being anxious dissipated, another arose. I still didn't know anything about what was happening; I'd been in the dark this whole time. Frustration suddenly bubbled up and coated the anxiousness, causing me to release an onslaught of desperately asked questions.

"What's going on? Why couldn't we talk? Where are the others? Where does Charlie think I am? Where is Victoria? Why are we going to Tokyo? When will we meet up with the others again?" I ranted, exhausting myself of oxygen.

Emmett laughed outright, "Chill Bella, we'll fill you in."

"We took you to the cabin to wait, as you know," began Rosalie, "You see, _she_ expected instant confrontation, or an escape to a nearby location. Edward, Carlisle and Esme went to Italy, and Alice and Jasper are in Tokyo."

Emmett took over, "The lack of action caused her to think we'd gone somewhere close by. But we split up, and ventured to different locations. Also, the reason why _we_ took you was because it was least logical to do so- from her point of view, of course. Neither of us have what she would consider 'special abilities.'"

"So where is she?" I asked.

"Eleazer and I ran a circuit this morning, and we found nothing. We waited a few hours, ran again, and picked up her scent a little ways over the Canadian border," Emmett whispered. That explained why we'd been in such a rush to leave the cabin.

"I still don't understand why we were being so quiet," I said.

"You think you would have picked up on this by now," Emmett chuckled, "Bella, our greatest devices when it comes to tracking are our five senses. By not speaking, we eliminated one of those senses. We couldn't blind her. We could diffuse the scent somewhat, but not entirely. But we could make her deaf."

"That's brilliant!" I exclaimed, earning strange looks from other passengers.

"Whoever she decided to follow, the silent game would have kept the rest of us safe," Rosalie added.

"As far as your father's beliefs on your current location, Esme and Carlisle took care of it," Emmett said.

"With Alice's help of course," Rosalie interceded, rolling her eyes at my father's favoritism towards her sister.

"But where does he think I am?" I asked, slightly frustrated I wasn't getting answers.

"He thinks you're camping in Yosemite for the next two weeks. Esme called and told him we were leaving for a family vacation, and asked if you could tag along… you know, since your birthday is coming up," Emmett said.

I sat back and digested the influx of information. It was like standing up too fast, it made me dizzy. For so long I knew nothing, and suddenly I'd been let in on the most well thought out plan to ever exist.

Overwhelming, for sure.

It didn't take long until I was ready for more answers, "What are we going to do in Tokyo?"

"We'll meet the rest of them there," Emmett said, causing me to perk up at the thought of seeing Edward again, "From then on we continue with the plan."

There was something to look forward to—Seeing Edward's face, being in his arms… Feeling completely safe once again.

I exulted at the notion.

Satisfied that Victoria was on a completely other continent, and I would see Edward soon, I let the fatigue take over my body.

Sometime later, I gradually regained my consciousness. I wasn't completely cognizant, but I could hear Rose and Emmett whispering beside me.

"My guess is we can't evade for long. That's her game," rumbled Emmett, "she's bound to catch on soon enough."

"Edward and Alice have a plan, Emmett," Rosalie said.

"I'm sure they do. Listen Rosie, we can't run forever. There's got to be a fight sometime in the near future," Emmett said, sounding quite pleased with such a prospect.

I didn't feel the same—quite the opposite, actually.

I was terrified.

The thought of Edward and his family risking their lives was downright horrifying. I opened my eyes, almost as if I was assuring myself there wasn't a fight happening right before me. I sighed at my off-kilter sensibility. We were on a _plane_, for goodness sakes.

"How much longer?" I garbled, slightly suffocated by sleep.

"'Bout five hours," Emmett replied.

"What's going to happen when we land?" I asked.

"Edward and Jasper will meet us at the airport, and we'll go from there," Rose said nonchalantly.

Though the idea of seeing Edward was relaxing in and of itself, it couldn't keep me completely calm. I was jittery to the point of restlessness, and despite Emmett's attempts at distraction, I couldn't get my mind off the thought of a fight between Victoria and the Cullens.

Coherent thoughts were virtually nonexistent. My mind became a jumbled mess of worry and anticipation.

I could only manage one constant, clear thought.

"_Please don't let them die." _

**EPOV**

Ever since leaving Bella's house, I'd been on edge. I wished we would have constructed a plan that allowed Bella to remain by my side. Not knowing how she was doing, not hearing her voice… It made it extremely difficult to focus on anything else.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to get on the plane, to walk by Esme and Carlisle, to check into a hotel, and wait.

The waiting made me ponder the relativity of time, once again. I'd live forever, but moments without Bella seemed like an eternity itself. Bella was time. Her presence caused it to roll by quickly and seamlessly. Her absence warped and slowed time.

The sun fell, and the change in atmosphere was almost soothing; knowing that time was, indeed, passing as it should. We used the night to hunt, roaming the undulating hills of Italy, careful to stay away from the Volterra walls. We arrived back in our overpriced hotel room before sunrise.

I wondered if Bella was awake, or if she had slept at all. I wondered if she'd talked in her sleep. If Emmett had watched over her, or perhaps Rosalie. I wondered if she was scared, and if she was, I hoped somebody thought to console her. Mostly, I wondered if she missed me the fraction of the amount I missed her.

I yearned for her soft, fragile embrace more than ever. And I realized I'd have to make it through these next few days without her to earn it.

The waiting game continued.

Just before twilight, we had received brief word from both Alice and Rosalie.

It was time to go.

Alice would stay in Tokyo with Jasper, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Bella were just about to leave.

_Soon_, I thought to myself, _Soon I will see her._

Before our departure, we were responsible for one last order of business. We traveled to the Volterra walls, climbing over and landing in a dark ally. I spared a glance towards Carlisle and Esme, silently agreeing to continue with our duty.

We didn't drop in to see the three terrors that lived there.

But they saw us, of course.

With Victoria's determination to abolish the Cullen family, and now the wolf pack too, a small amount of suspicion was all we needed.

**APOV**

I searched through my visions, trying to focus on Victoria. Last I'd checked she was in British Columbia tracking Bella. She was dangerously close, but she wouldn't find her, of that I was sure. Bella, Emmett and Rose were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean by now. Victoria was sufficiently distracted by someone or something I couldn't quite see.

Jasper sat patiently with his arm wrapped around me, waiting for me to see something of great importance. I focused harder on Victoria. She was having trouble, but I couldn't get a grip on the specifics. My lack of clear vision was frustrating, and I almost wanted to wipe my eyes, as if to rid of the blurriness.

I saw Edward, Esme, and Carlisle exit a plane, and resolved that they would be here in a matter of minutes, as we were conveniently located near the airport. I saw a fuzzy vision of Edward staying; he had half a mind to wait for Bella to land, but he knew it was unwise.

I looked for Bella, and saw that their flight had been severely delayed; it would be hours before they landed. Edward was right to stay in the hotel room until her plane landed.

Just as Carlisle opened up our hotel door, a vision of Victoria overwhelmed me. As it ended, I began to giggle, earning strange looks from those around me, except for Edward of course. He added to the mirth with a low, half hearted chuckle.

"You won't believe the luggage Victoria is traveling with," I breathed, shaking my head at her self- destructive ignorance. My cryptic remark seemed to create even more confusion, and I decided to disclose the humor of the vision, "Victoria brought her entire coven on the tracking expedition."

Three pairs of eyes stared at me questioningly, almost disbelieving.

"I couldn't make this up if I tried," I defended.

"She appeared to be much more intelligent than this, what was she thinking?" Jasper pondered.

"She probably hoped to destroy Bella wherever she found her, thinking we wouldn't have strayed too far," Carlisle pitched in, resurrecting a growl from Edward.

"Where is she now?" Esme asked worriedly.

"She followed Bella's scent to Canada, but her… army, if you will, got out of hand. She contemplated continuing without them, but they must be of great importance to whatever she had planned, because she stayed," I explained.

"She won't be able to catch up to us, which multiplies our chances at success," Jasper said.

Edward, who had been unusually quiet throughout the discussion, finally spoke up, "We can't hide forever. At some point we've got to end her. If we don't, the Volturi will get involved, and our own plan will backfire on us."

"Bella, Em, and Rose land in two hours or so. Once they do, we leave this hotel immediately. You all know where we go from there," I announced, earning a collective nod from my family. My statement seemed to have renewed the tension of the situation, and with time slowly creeping towards confrontation with Victoria, it was stronger than ever.

After a few measly minutes of brooding silence, even I could feel the apprehension that coated the room, and I wasn't the empath. Most of the hostility was radiating from Edward. I knew the past days without Bella were painful for him, and rightfully so. They were always the ones who were split up in situations like these, times when they needed each other the most. Thankfully, Edward would do anything to protect Bella, even if it meant leaving her.

I was taken from my thoughts by a deep, throaty growl. I glanced up to see Edward staring at the floor. His eyes met mine, and I knew my thoughts had upset him.

_Sorry,_ I thought. He dipped his head once, and went back to burning a hole in the carpet.

The waiting continued. Everybody was slightly out of the norm, especially Edward. Bella's delayed flight had put him in panic mode.

_We're all worried, Edward. Nobody wants her stuck there. Why do you think Rose is being so kind? She knows being uncooperative won't solve anything. She's trying. And Jazz is slowly warming up to her too. We'll protect her, _I consoled.

Edward's eyes were no longer burning with frustration; instead they'd softened into a gaze of gratitude. I nodded, smiling, punctuating my statement.

Jasper obviously wasn't enjoying the emotional climate. He began to project a serenity that even Edward couldn't fight. That was another reason why Edward wanted Bella near. Not just to comfort her, but to have Jasper calm _her_ as well. He could see through my visions that she hadn't slept all that much, and even though Emmett was trying his best to distract her, she was on edge.

_I want her to feel safe too,_ I told him.

Together, we mentally counted down until Bella's arrival. The thought that she'd be half a world away from Victoria itself was most comforting, and even in his frenzied state of mind, Edward could realize that too.

Time dragged. On and on, the clock ticked sharply. Every snap of the hands was precious, every revolution was celebrated.

Once in a while, a flicker of Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie would pass through my mind, causing Edward to briefly come out of his trance. These updates were often abrupt, and more or less inconsequential. Rose reading a magazine. Bella biting her nails. Emmett playing with various items on the plane.

No matter how meaningless they were, I could tell that they kept Edward from losing his mind completely. For that, I was grateful.

We waited.

The time came. Edward and Jasper were going to the airport, for the sole purpose that they would be the best at calming Bella down. When I envisioned Edward scooping Bella into his arms, I sighed in relief. Everybody was together once again. Victoria, although she'd resolved the tussle in Canada, was still a day away from Tokyo at the very least.

For now, it seemed like we'd received a slight reprieve. We were well aware it wouldn't last long- the plan demanded action in the next hour.

But we could soak up the moment while it lasted.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**- Thank you for reading. Reviews would be lovely. **

**I plan on making a _Restless Sleeper _trailer. I will post the link on my profile when it's finished. If you'd like to see the trailer for _Beyond Hope_ (A collaboration between KarinaCullen and myself) you can find the link on my profile as well. **


	10. Reunited, and It Feels so Good

**A/N:**

**~ So far, scheduled updates are going well. Once again, couldn't have done it without Karina. **

**Also, I'm re-editing the earlier chapters of _Love is Patient, Love is Kind_ and _Restless Sleeper. _Please refer to the author's note on my profile for more details. **

**Enjoy the story.**

**- Kassidy**

**DISCLAIMERS:**

**(insert witty remark pertaining to not owning Twilight here)**

**EPOV**

**

* * *

**

The Tokyo airport had never seemed so beautiful. Though I knew it wasn't the airport itself I found beauty in, it was the beautiful person I would soon reunite with inside of it.

I rushed through the throngs of travelers, lightly pushing a few aside. Jasper was close behind, inwardly judging my—in his eyes—ridiculous antics. I paid no mind to his mocking thoughts, I had one person on my mind, and it wasn't him.

We arrived at the gate after what seemed like an eternity of shoving and 'excuse me's'. I listened for familiar thoughts. Emmett's were easily recognizable among all the different dialects of the plane. Bella would land in a matter of minutes.

As always, time played cruel games with me. I was almost positive that Bella would never get off that damned plane. I tried to keep myself from pacing, but failed miserably.

The minutes that seemed like days eventually ended. I reconnected with the two most gorgeous brown eyes known to man.

Bella left Emmett's side and ran towards me, surprisingly managing to rush without tripping, "Edward!"

Her warm body collided with mine, and I sighed, "Bella."

She remained in my arms, her face nestled in my chest, mine in her hair. And nothing mattered right then. It didn't matter that we were on the brink of vampire warfare. It didn't matter that there were hundreds of people surrounding us. It didn't matter that we needed to return to the hotel as soon as possible.

Bella was in my arms, she was safe. She would not be leaving my side for a long while. Time was right once again. It was reliable, it was now a friend.

Rosalie cleared her throat, "As much as I hate to break up this romance movie-esque reunion, I'm sure Alice is waiting for us."

"Aw come on Rosie, give them a minute," Emmett muttered.

I gave Bella one last squeeze before pulling her back to kiss her. It was what I'd been yearning for the entire time. Unfortunately, Rosalie was right.

"We really must go," I said.

Bella exhaled shakily, nodding her head. I looked down at her, noticing her worn expression, her fearful eyes. She cleared her throat, "Let's go."

I glanced warily at Jasper. He nodded understandingly, and immediately Bella relaxed. She looked over at him gratefully- for once glad to be manipulated by his empathy. With her calmed, we were able to focus on the rest of the plan. We left the airport and went straight to the hotel, since Emmett, Rose, and Bella didn't have any luggage besides their carry-ons.

When we opened the door, the room was just as we left it. However, it was much busier than before.

Alice stopped her rushed frenzy to greet Bella, "Nice to have you back!"

"Missed you too, Alice," Bella chuckled.

No words were spoken after that. Bella sat on the sofa and watched as Alice, Carlisle, and I took things out of bags and replaced them, ripped up previously worn clothing, and sprayed new garments with various scents. Rosalie restocked her makeup bag, while Emmett and Jasper quietly discussed plans.

Esme didn't participate in the preparations, instead choosing to sit near Bella, always keeping one arm around her. They said nothing to each other, but it was obvious that Bella was happy to have her close by. I smiled at their silent camaraderie, glad my love was comfortable.

"Okay," Alice broke the ongoing silence, "We're ready. Everyone knows what to do?" She earned a collective nod.

Bella's brow furrowed. She was clearly disgruntled at the fact that she was in the dark once again. She didn't like being the only one out of the loop- these last few days had to have been frustrating.

Fortunately, the secret keeping wouldn't last. But for now, the silent game was on again. Bella didn't need to be reminded of this- she was well practiced. She joined me at my side. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her nose. Another promise.

And we were off. Alice and Jasper were going to board a plane to Mozambique, Africa, where they would serve as a blockade should anyone got close to Bella and me. Carlisle and Esme were going to return to Forks, rally a few wolves, and meet us at our destination. Rosalie and Emmett planned to make their way to Malaysia, and proceed to swim to Australia.

Bella didn't know that. All Bella knew was that the family was separated once again, and she was about to board another plane. She asked no questions, however. She walked through the airport with her hand in mine, waiting for the moment when she would discover our landing place.

When such a time came, she smiled smugly. I knew it was because she had anticipated our destination. Rosalie had mentally commented on how quickly she found out the many different regions our plan included. I smiled back at her, happy to see her grin if only for a second.

It wasn't long until the worry and exhaustion claimed her features once again. I pulled her into my arms, hoping to offer some sort of consolation. She rested her head against my chest, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. I hummed her lullaby until they called for us to board.

Once the seatbelt sign was off, Bella climbed into my lap. The attendant shot a disapproving glance our way, but said nothing. I began to sing again, only stopping when I heard the deep, steady breaths that indicated Bella's unconsciousness.

I sighed in relief. She needed to rest- her mind needed an escape from all the stress. I waited patiently for her to begin talking. Not fifteen minutes later, my wish was granted.

Bella's brow furrowed, she muttered, "_Edward."_

I smiled, proud to be a part of her dreams as always. So far, it appeared they were happy.

That changed all too soon. Bella began to twitch, her voice growing a tad louder in distress. "_Edward! Come back!"_

I shook her gently, "I'm not going anywhere, Bella. I'm here."

She couldn't hear me. She continued to shake and beg for me to return to her. I tried to wake her, desperately attempting to end her nightmare. Nothing worked, so I bent down to put my lips to hers as I had those few nights ago.

Bella's eyes shot open, her arms snaking up my neck and latching onto me for dear life. I drew back, smoothing her hair and looking into her eyes, "You're okay."

She didn't respond. She continued to shake and mutter barely audible phrases. I rubbed her back and whispered words of comfort in her ear until she calmed down.

For once in a long while, she spoke, "We can talk now?"

I nodded, pressing my lips to her forehead and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Bella stared off into space for a few seconds, before her eyes met mine again, "Edward, I'm scared."

"Oh Bella," I sighed, "I'm sorry. Sorry that you have to be dragged all over the world without being told where you're headed. Sorry you have to put up with so much silence."

She shrugged, "I trust you. I'm more worried about…" She didn't finish.

"About…" I urged.

"The fight," She whispered.

"Who told you there was going to be a fight?" I was sure it was Emmett.

"I overheard Em and Rose talking about it. Emmett said you would have to intercept Victoria and end this soon." Bella murmured as she fiddled with the zipper on her jacket.

I pulled her close, "We will have to end her, yes. But there are no definite plans of this yet. Don't worry yourself."

Bella nodded, resigned. I kept her on my lap, wishing she would rest some more. She didn't go to sleep, too afraid of nightmares I assumed. We sat in silence as she traced my collarbone back and forth, dipping down to my chest every once in a while. Her touch tingled-the feeling almost resembled a tickle.

"You're driving me crazy," I muttered.

Bella momentarily halted her movements, "Am I?"

"Now is really not the time for this," I said, although if such a simple thing kept her pleased, I'd be more than willing to let her continue.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked.

"No." It wasn't a lie. Bella could do whatever she liked, as long as it made her happy. I took the time to copy her activities. As she ran her fingers over my chest, I traced her beautiful face with mine. Every once in a while, I would lean down to kiss her, and she would respond sweetly as always. It was the perfect distraction, and we were so consumed with each other that we didn't have time to discuss our worries.

Nearing the end of the flight, Bella's hands had traveled up my neck to secure themselves on my face. She searched my eyes for something before speaking, "Edward, I want you to change me."

I didn't answer for a while. I stared into her eyes. I finally responded, "Why?"

"I'm fed up with being fragile. I'm tired of all these shenanigans. I don't want to have to be the one the family always has to protect. I want to be _equal._" She ranted.

I nodded, "That's understandable. Are those your only reasons?"

She shook her head, "Most of all, I want you. I want to have a real forever with you, not a mere mortal one."

I thought about that. Would it be so bad, would it really? No. But risking her soul, her afterlife—now that was unacceptable. However, if she were to become like me, all I would have to do was assure she never perished. If she never died, she wouldn't have to worry about such things, and neither would I.

Bella interrupted my musings, "I want you to do it when we land, Edward."

"What?" I seethed.

"We're all in danger. I don't want to be the cause of that danger anymore. Should there be a war, I want to partake in it, beside you." Her eyes were determined, resolute.

"No," I growled.

"How long until the others meet us at the island? And after that, how long do you think it will take for Victoria to find us?" she asked, unshaken by my vehement refusal.

How she knew we expected Victoria to catch on shortly after our reunion was beyond me, but I wasn't worried about that, "Three days at the most for the others to meet us. We expect Victoria to catch on in a week, if not two."

She raised her eyebrows, "Sounds like just enough time to me."

"You'd be too instinctual. You won't be trained to fight," I tried to reason.

She bit her lip, mulling that over, "Fine."

I was taken aback, "Really?"

She nodded, "I won't fight."

"What's the catch?" I asked cautiously.

"Just because I can't fight, doesn't mean you can't change me," She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I stared at her, waiting for her to explain. She noticed my confused expression, "We alter the plan a little. I won't fight, but I'll be less fragile. We meet your family there as planned, but after they arrive, we leave. Should Victoria find us- which she won't - I'll be more difficult to kill, and able to defend myself to an extent."

I gaped at her, stunned by her ability to change our well thought out plan so quickly. I was still reluctant to change her, however. "Bella… I can't do that."

She folded her arms, "Why not?"

I sighed, "The plan we have now will work fine. I see no reason to change it."

Bella's voice grew slightly above a whisper, "It's not about the plan, Edward. It's about you and me, and our forever."

I wished I could say yes. I wanted a forever with her. I wanted to be sure she was always safe. I whispered brokenly, "Not now."

Bella perked up at that. She had noticed the lack of finality in my words—I hadn't said no, or not ever. Despite her insight, she said nothing. She cast a sly glance my way, a little more confident with her request.

The conversation ended there, as it was time to get off the plane. We rushed through the small airport, gathered our minimal luggage, and made our way to the dock. Bella's face was questioning, but she understood that it was a time to be silent. I helped her onto the boat, starting it up and departing immediately.

The ride was relatively short, and Bella seemed to enjoy the peaceful scenery. As we drew close to our destination, she joined me at the wheel. I docked the boat at the empty station. I picked up Bella as well as our bags, and followed a familiar scent.

We arrived at the edge of the forest, where a small but elaborate hut had been built. At this point, Bella was beyond puzzled, and desperately, yet silently, seeking for answers.

I said nothing. I walked forward without hesitation, opening the door to the hut and stepping inside.

We were met by three bright red eyes, three wide smiles.

"Well, well, well," chuckled the nearest of the Amazonian vampires, "Hello there Bella, Edward. Welcome to the Glorioso islands."

* * *

**A/N: **

**~ The destinations have all been revealed. ** TADA**. I realize that their landing place seems a bit unclear. If you've been paying attention (And I don't blame you if you haven't, because keeping track of all these time differences and airports and such is a pain in the ASS) you would have concluded that the last destination was Madagascar. The Glorioso Islands are just off the coast. **

**I feel like I have so much more to write with this story, even at ten chapters. I'm thinking twenty chapters? That was the original outline. **

**Pshh. Who am I kidding? I don't outline SHIT. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**I would love to see some reviews. :)**

**- Kassidy**


	11. Confused and a Little Horny

**A/N:**

**~ I might change update dates. I'm returning to school August 9th, and I don't know how busy I'll be. I don't take stress very well, and usually by the time I finish all my work (at, oh I don't know, five o' clock at night- ah the joys of AP classes) I'm entirely too lazy to do much. We'll see how that goes. **

**Huge thanks to KarinaCullen, of course. And the thesaurus. And Stephenie Meyer.**

**Enjoy. **

**-Kassidy**

**DISCLAIMERS:**

**EPOV**

**Rights to Twilight, I do not own.**

* * *

Bella glared at the vampires before us defiantly, trying to appear strong. However, she'd unconsciously moved behind me, grasping my arm tightly.

I pulled Bella's hands off me, wrapping my arm around her waist, attempting to comfort her and reassure her there was no danger.

"Hello, Zafrina," I greeted with a smile.

"Fancy seeing you here," Senna grinned welcomingly.

"Edward…?" Bella whispered, obviously confused.

"Bella, this is Zafrina, Kachiri, and Senna. They're friends of ours," I explained, gesturing to each one as I introduced them.

"Hello," Bella muttered shyly.

"Don't worry Bella. We won't let that nasty vampire get you," Kachiri said, flashing her teeth

Bella nodded, still confused. Instead of interrogating the three vampires like I would have expected, she took a moment to gather her surroundings. She took in the elaborately built hut—completely created from the island's natural resources. The table, the mats, there was even a bed.

"Wow," Bella murmured in awe, "Did you guys build this?"

Senna was the one to answer, "We did. We got a call from Edward over here, and made our way to build this beautiful make-shift hotel room for you."

Bella blushed. "Thank you… you didn't have to do that."

I snickered at her chagrin, guiding her towards the table. She sat next to me, still glancing around in disbelief.

It was silent for a while. Bella surveyed the hut- Kachiri, Senna, and Zafrina surveyed her.

_Edward,_Zafrina thought, _why haven't you changed her?_

I growled_. Way to be subtle_, _Zafrina_.

I warned Zafrina with my eyes not to say anything. Being the independent, outspoken woman she was, she completely ignored me.

"So Bella," she started casually, "Why aren't you a vampire?"

Bella's eyebrows shot up at the aloofness of the question, before turning to grin sardonically at me. "Ask Edward."

Three red eyes turned to me, glaring questioningly. I shrugged. "She's perfectly beautiful and glorious as a human. I see no rush."

The red eyes—and now a brown pair, as well- were cynical.

Senna scoffed, "Yeah… because you _aren't_ being hunted by an army of vampires."

I didn't respond. Instead, I thought about Zafrina, Kachiri, and Senna's reaction to Bella and our relationship. They seemed to believe it was mandatory to change Bella. As if it was some sort of unspoken rule. My family thought along the same lines—except for Rosalie and myself.

_You know you'll do it_, Zafrina thought smugly.

As if in sync with Zafrina's thoughts, Senna smirked at me, _Someone's in denial._

I still didn't respond. I merely sat back and watched Bella acquaint herself with the three Amazonian vampires. At first, Bella was apprehensive around them. She kept to my side and only spoke to them when they addressed her. That didn't last long.

The three women had taken quite the liking to my Bella. Zafrina especially—she _adored _her. They spent most of the evening on the bed discussing anything and everything. Senna and Kachiri chimed in every now and then as well. I was glad they got along so well, it would make the stay on the island that much more comfortable for Bella.

The conversation suddenly turned to the subject of Bella's future. I anticipated a negative reaction, but she answered coolly—just as animated and involved as before.

"So you plan to become a vampire _sometime_?" Zafrina asked curiously.

"Well, yes. But Edward hasn't made up his mind." Bella shot an uncertain look in my direction, silently asking if this topic was okay. I nodded reassuringly.

"Do you have an idea of what your special ability will be?" Zafrina's eyes were bright with enthusiasm and acquisitiveness.

Bella shook her head. "We don't even know if I'll have one at all."

Senna joined in, "But Edward can't hear you, right?"

Bella shook her head again.

_Do you think I could…_Zafrina's thoughts trailed off.

"No," I snarled, standing up quickly, knocking down my chair in the process.

"It won't hurt her," Zafrina said assuredly.

"You can't know that. It could startle her severely." I glared at her, slightly angry she would even request such a thing.

"I'll go easy on her. It won't be anything too extreme," Zafrina rationalized. _I wouldn't hurt her, Edward_, She added mentally.

I noticed the tenderness in her thoughts. She had grown too fond of Bella in this short amount of time to ever harm her—they all had. I noted that, despite their regular vampire diet, they could resist her blood fairly easily.

I conceded, still slightly unwilling. I went to Bella's side, taking her hand. She was beyond perplexed.

"Zafrina can project visual images into other's minds. She wants to see if her abilities will work on you. It's going to be very potent, so much so you might believe you're there. She'll be careful though," I explained. Bella still appeared befuddled, but nodded in agreement.

Zafrina stood, gently putting her hands on either side of Bella's face. I watched for the image she would show Bella.

It was Forks. The three Amazonian vampires had only been once, but of course Zafrina remembered it perfectly. She was trying her best to tone down the vision and make it less overpowering. But her attempts were futile.

"I don't see anything," Bella announced, causing Zafrina to halt her illusion.

"Nothing?" Zafrina confirmed, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Bella shook her head, almost looking guilty. As if she felt bad that she couldn't see the image, like she'd let Zafrina down.

"What was it?" Bella asked.

"Forks," I said. Her expression dropped a little. She wanted to see Forks. She wanted to believe she was home, if only for a second.

But she wouldn't—she couldn't. And the frustration in her expression told me that it was one of the few times she didn't want to be mentally mute.

Kachiri spoke for the first time in a while, "That has to mean something."

Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, think about it," She said, "She's _only_ human now. Yet she can block out mental abilities of a _vampire_."

"Stop." I demanded. The conversation was heading down a dangerous path.

"Edward!" Bella reprimanded.

"Don't say anymore," I growled, glaring at Kachiri, trying to convey the seriousness of my request.

She stared at me for a while—the length of ten human heartbeats—before looking away, silently following my orders.

_I understand, Edward, _Zafrina thought. Thankfully, she spoke no more on the matter.

Bella, not understanding the exchange, was miffed at my less than polite behavior.

"That was rude." She hissed.

"I know," I sighed, "My apologies, Kachiri."

"Don't worry about it." She muttered, still trying to figure out my motivation for interrupting so suddenly.

_Is it? Oh…_ She looked in my direction, and I knew she'd figured it out. I nodded slightly, and she returned the gesture, dropping the subject immediately.

After that, the conversation was mostly lighthearted. Every once in a while Bella would ask something about our plan and I would answer it. There was no chance that Victoria or her followers would hear us—we were completely isolated on the island.

As the days went by, we would have to talk less and less. The chances of Victoria finding us would grow, and we'd have to gradually become more cautious. I stopped that train of thought—there was no need to dwell on it now.

Night fell, and I lay on the bed with Bella on top of me—it was a small bed—as Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna left to hunt in Africa.

When they said their goodbyes, Bella whispered, "They're not hunting animals, are they?"

I shook my head grimly. She shivered, but said nothing more, for which I was grateful.

Bella rested her head against my chest, her ear against my cold heart.

"You're not going to hear anything," I muttered solemnly.

"I know," she whispered, "But I've always thought silence was beautiful in its own way."

I pulled her up to kiss me, probably a little more forcefully than appropriate. She moaned quietly into my mouth, her hands running down my chest.

I couldn't deny it—I wanted her. More than anything. I ran my hands up her arms before securing them around her, offering her a throaty growl of my own.

The sound drove her crazy. Her hands shot up into my hair, pulling it viciously. It didn't hurt—on the contrary, it felt nice.

_Stop_, I told myself.

I couldn't. For the life of me, I couldn't let this girl go.

She wasn't complaining. She moved to straddle me, and once again I screamed at myself to stop before I hurt her.

"Bella," I whispered against her mouth.

"Hmm..?" she breathed, going in for another kiss.

"We…have… to… stop," I spoke in between kisses.

She sighed, sitting back. I sat up, moving her to sit on my lap rather than her previous—and arguably more favorable—position. I played with her hair while she tried to slow her breathing. Eventually she looked up at me.

I answered her question before she had a chance to ask it, "You know I don't want to stop."

She nodded, but her expression remained dubious. Her warm little hands urged me to lie back down, and not being able to deny her anything-except sex, apparently- I did. She squirmed against me until she was comfortable, and I began to hum her lullaby.

She was asleep in seconds.

Zafrina, Senna, and Kachiri returned just before dawn, their eyes even brighter red than they had been the previous day. They grinned at Bella's position, _awing _quietly.

"Look at her sleeping," cooed Zafrina, as if she were referring to a baby. _She's a keeper,_ She added mentally.

I chuckled at their antics. Bella was no napping toddler. _Not even close,_ I thought, remembering last night.

"Humans are _so _cute," Kachiri snickered.

Not long after that, Bella woke. She was adorably frazzled, not quite remembering where she was. She gasped when she noticed the three vampires watching her sleep, before she recalled the past night and relaxed.

Everyone laughed at her reaction, making her blush and bury her face into my chest. After a few minutes, she erected herself and sat at the table. I grinned at her appearance-her messy hair and rumpled clothing made her all the more amusing.

Zafrina laughed, pointing at the haystack on her head, "You want me to braid that?"

Bella fingered her hair, groaning. Zafrina laughed harder, and proceeded to comb and braid Bella's hair. I pulled clothes out of our bag—the one's Alice had been wearing the previous day—and handed them to Bella.

When Zafrina was finished braiding her hair, and it was time to change into said clothes, Bella glanced around the hut, blushing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Umm… would you mind… going outside?" She asked- her words nearly incoherent.

I hadn't thought about the fact there was no private place for her to change. I nodded, immediately exiting. Zafrina, Kachiri, and Senna followed. Bella took five minutes to change, before notifying us she was decent.

"Where do I go to the bathroom?" Bella mumbled, her face beet red.

"There is an empty meteorological station on the other side of the island- there should be a bathroom in there," I said.

"How will we get in?" She asked.

I laughed at her naivety. "I'm fairly sure we can manage to pick a lock."

With that, we ran to the station and Bella used the bathroom there. As we were about to head back, Bella asked, "Edward, why is this place empty?"

"Tourists can buy off the island for a certain amount of time." I explained nonchalantly.

She halted her steps. "Do me a favor?"

I turned to look at her, "Anything."

"Never tell me how much it cost to buy this island," She said, eliciting more uproarious laughter.

The rest of the day continued much like the previous. I went to the boat to get Bella food, and she chatted with Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna.

On the island, it was much easier to ignore the oncoming threats. We'd been trying to treat it like vacation the entire time we were here—doing our best to avoid any serious talk about Victoria or the fight.

That would change tomorrow. The others would be meeting us here, and it would be silent once again. Bella knew this. She spoke nothing of it, however, obviously soaking up her last moments.

I sat with her, laughed with her, and ignored reality along with her. I watched as she interacted with our old family friends, beyond pleased that she'd been accepted so graciously.

I couldn't help notice how well she fit in, how well she took all of it. It was yet another reason to allow her into my world completely.

I stared into her exquisite brown eyes, and I knew.

I _had_ to have her forever.

* * *

**A/N: **

**~We all love some horny Edward now and then. It's okay to admit it.**

**As _Love is Patient, Love is Kind_ and _Restless Sleeper_ are generally half finished, my brain is starting to develop ideas for new stories without my permission. It's difficult as it is, keeping up with these two stories, plus my collab with Karina. I do not NEED to be spending time writing other fanfictions. Alas, it is entirely out of my control because when I have an idea, I click on Microsoft Word without conscious thought. **

**ANYHOO I have two new stories a cookin'... don't know which one will be next. Both of them are all human, and VERY different from my stories now.**

**Sorry for boring you. I tend to rant sometimes.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**Reviews are delicious.**

**- Kassidy**


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